There are a variety of methods used to remove paint or other coatings from the surfaces of buildings. One common method called sandblasting consists of expelling sand under high pressure against the side of a building. The impingement of the sand against the building facade functions to loosen the paint on the building. When sandblasting operations are carried out on multistory buildings, various arrangements are made to raise the sandblasting equipment above ground level. Typically, some form of scaffold system is used to support workmen and the sandblasting equipment.
Many scaffold systems are known in the prior art and they need not be described in detail. Briefly, a typical scaffold systems consist of an elongated platform which is adapted to be raised vertically along the side of the building. The platform is supported by a plurality of cables which are typically connected through a pulley arrangement adjacent the roof of the building. By varying the length of the cables, the height of the platform can be adjusted.
In many cases, the use of sandblasting equipment has posed no serious environmental problems. However, as can be appreciated, in densely populated areas, it is highly undesirable to have the particulate residue of a sandblasting operation entering the atmosphere. Where buildings and population are relatively dense, the particulates can cause a noticeably adverse effect on air quality and, in addition, will pose rather annoying clean-up problems. Accordingly, various regulatory agencies have restricted the use of sandblasting operations in urban environments. Therefore, construction companies have been forced to utilize less attractive techniques for removing paint layers from the exterior of buildings. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a system which obviates the shortcomings of the prior art sandblasting operations.
The concept of capturing the residue generated when cleaning buildings has been addressed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,885, issued Nov. 15, 1955, to Dietz, discloses a window cleaning platform which includes a receptable for catching dirty water. The receptacle is mounted below the platform and captures the run-off which drains from the window ledge. As can be appreciated however, in a sandblasting operation particulate matter flies outwardly in all directions, such that the device illustrated in Deitz would be ineffectual in preventing the residue from entering the atmosphere.
Thus, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved scaffold system for use in sandblasting operations.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved scaffold system which substantially inhibits the percentage of particulates entering the air during a sandblasting operation.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved scaffold system which includes a plurality of troughs mounted to the lower surface of a platform for collecting particulates generated in a sandblasting operation.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved scaffold system which includes an enclosure means for channeling the particulate into the troughs connected to the platform.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved scaffold system which includes a conduit means for channeling the residue of a sandblasting operation directly from the platform to a point on the ground.